A lecture that saved a life

She saved her granddaughter with a community college class. Get a tissue ready.

While babysitting her three-month-old granddaughter earlier this year, knowledge from
one of Karen Jackson's Columbus State nursing courses helped avert tragedy.

As the infant's breathing became frantic, Karen remembered a lesson from instructor
Tammy Montgomery. She recognized the signs of respiratory distress. The baby was rushed
to Nationwide Children's Hospital, where she was diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial
Virus.

The quick action led to a smooth recovery and today Karen's granddaughter is a healthy
1-year-old girl.

Karen told the story at Columbus State's graduation ceremony Dec. 6, where she was
the class valedictorian. She now plans to transfer to The Ohio State University to
work on a bachelor's degree in nursing.

"Every time I look at that baby, I'm going to remember that it was my education at
Columbus State that played a part in saving her life," Karen says. "And every time
I see her smile, I'm going to see Tammy Montgomery, an instructor who delivered that
lecture time after time after time after time, like it was a lecture that was going
to make a difference in somebody's life."